The Garden of Wisdom: A public library and safe haven for plants
November 4, 2024
This design idea for a public library in the equatorial climate of Balikpapan, Indonesia envisions Nature as a source of knowledge or “an old, giant book”, as described by architecture student Abraham Chintianto. He mentioned: “Nature and education goes hand in hand as inseparable parts in maintaining and developing knowledge for the generations ahead.”
Hence, this idea of the coexistence between natural ecosystems and large-scale learning environments became the starting point in developing the library, dubbed the Garden of Wisdom for blending together the functional spaces with a series of gardens and flora conservation areas.
‘Protective’ design
The site overlooks the bay of Balikpapan, located in eastern Kalimantan Island. The construction of Indonesia’s new capital city nearby, which is expected to require extensive new education facilities, ironically poses threats to Borneo’s native flora. Chintianto’s objectives for this design was to explore library and garden spaces as a source of knowledge, as a vibrant and versatile public area, and as a safe haven for endemic plant species.
The 5-storey structure features an extensive green pathway that circles the whole complex and all the way to the top floor. A wide variety of local plants, flowers, shrubs and small trees are planted along this exterior path, serving to educate visitors about the biodiversity. The plants also serve as a vegetative buffer that protects the interior spaces, book collections and occupants from the harsh tropical sunlight and oceanic breeze.
Continuous paths provide a primary walking route for visitors as well as maintenance workers, who would not need specific tools such as gondolas to clean the building. A range of activity spaces could be used for reading, discussion and other social activities.
Simulating climatic impact
“One of the challenges in this performance-driven studio was to visualise the impact of these extensive interventions towards the overall spatial qualities and user comfort,” Chintianto said. For this project, he utilised multiple software to simulate the design in relation to various climate-related contexts.
For instance, the configuration of paths on the façade was based on daylight optimisation, without compromising the primary programmes with excessive radiation. Using sunlight penetration data, the interior programme and plants for landscaping were also arranged based on their ideal needs for daylighting. Cave-inspired low-light habitats were placed at the basement level, followed by a forest floor ecosystem on the ground floor, a mangrove ecosystem at the ocean-facing south end, smaller high-light vegetation along the perimeter, and canopy ecosystems at the upper levels.
The orientation and size of ‘negative spaces’ (such as openings, gaps and voids) were proportionally positioned to embrace the prevailing oceanic winds while paying attention to their differences within a day-to-night cycle. Moreover, analysis on rainfall and daylighting patterns also informed various ‘self-sustaining’ appliances, such as the placement of rainwater collection points, solar tube daylighting and photovoltaic panels.
PROJECT DATA
Project Name
Garden of Wisdom
Location
Balikpapan, East Borneo, Indonesia
Site Area
7,875 square metres
Programmes
Public library; gardens
This project by Abraham Chintianto was part of a design studio of Universitas Indonesia, advised by Professor Yandi Andri Yatmo; Dr Ir Achmad Hery Fuad; and Ramadhona.
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